Meet Our Board of Directors
Tapiwa Mupereki is the Co-Founder and CEO of JewelRide, a healthcare mobility company based out of Edwardsville, IL. Tapiwa and his wife, Rutendo Faith Nkomo-Mupereki founded T and R Philanthropies in 2023. He has previously worked on large scale global health programs including leading technical assignments and presentations in Africa, Europe and the United States. He has also practiced pharmacy with CVS and Walgreens in the past.
Tapiwa started his career as a pharmacist in his native Zimbabwe at the country’s largest referral center, Parirenyatwa group of hospitals where his love for public health blossomed. He is a board member of Microfinancing Partners in Africa (MPA), a St Louis, MO based organization working on lifting people out of extreme poverty.
In October 2022, Tapiwa was given the Excellence in Edwardsville award by Mayor Art Risavy for his contribution to the community. He holds an MS in International Health Policy and Management from The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University where he was also nominated to be the commencement speaker on behalf of his graduating class of 2011.
Dr. Rutendo Faith Nkomo-Mupereki is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Advisor of JewelRide, a healthcare mobility company based out of Edwardsville, IL. Faith and her husband Tapiwa Mupereki founded T and R Philanthropies in 2023.
She previously worked on a phase three clinical trial study with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which led to the first Malaria vaccine in the world.
She is a board certified pediatrician (American Board of Pediatrics) and an assistant professor of pediatrics whose passion for the well-being of kids goes beyond provision of clinical care. She is a firm believer of promoting early childhood literacy programs.
Faith completed her pediatric residency with John H. Stroger Jr Hospital of Cook County graduating in 2019.
Susan Young is a board member of T and R Philanthropies, founder of YCG Accounting and a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She is an experienced entrepreneur and business executive who has previously worked with both large and small businesses in corporate America.
From 1980 to 1997, Susan focused on business management and marketing. Since 1997 she has been heavily concentrating on accounting and banking and continues today in the role of financial coaching for businesses and individuals.
She is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in Political Science. She also completed an accounting degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE).
Emma Makumbe is a highly experienced financial professional who serves as a board member with a focus on treasury duties. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of Missouri and a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA).
With over 10 years of experience in public accounting, Emma’s extensive career spans multiple continents and countries, including the USA, Zimbabwe, and Europe, where she has worked with various organizations, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her roles. Emma’s diverse background and international experience make her a valuable asset in any financial or governance capacity.
The Founders' History in Zimbabwe
Tapiwa and Rutendo were both raised by single mothers while growing up in impoverished communities in Zimbabwe. Tapiwa started off in rural Bikita staying with his maternal grandmother before moving to Mhangura, a former mining town. Rutendo grew up in Macheke, a farming area.
We eventually managed to enroll at Zimbabwe’s largest and most competitive tertiary school, University of Zimbabwe (Tapiwa- School of Pharmacy and Rutendo-School of Medicine) which opened doors for stable careers initially in Zimbabwe and later in the United States of America.
We have been fortunate to be entrepreneurs in America. When we reflect back, we realize that many of our friends and family members had great potential that remained marginalized due to reasons beyond their control. At T&R Philanthropies we believe that we have a part to play in helping people realize their full potential. Access to basic amenities such as education, clean water, public health facilities, transportation and the internet remain severely limited in several communities in Zimbabwe. Ultimately this creates a poverty cycle that runs generationally.
We believe that if we can help with increasing access to some of these basic amenities, we have a chance to help with breaking the poverty cycle for people who are part of our programs.
Meet Our Community Coordinators
Our community coordinators are in the field investing into the kids and people supported by our programs. They are part of the community with deep local knowledge about priority programming areas. For our scholarship program, they take their time to intersect with the leaders from the community and local schools to help with identifying kids to be enrolled in the program. Their grassroots knowledge is invaluable to the success of our programs at the local level.
Forward is a pharmacist and health logistics expert with experiences spanning government hospitals, central medical stores, national pharmacy directorate and United Nations agencies. He grew up in the Bikita area and continues to be passionate about the development of the area.
Pelagia is a veteran educator and retired school teacher. For more than 40 years she has invested her time and intellect to develop elementary school kids. She remains passionate about empowering kids for a better future.
Jacqueline is a cosmetologist and an entrepreneur who is involved in development activities at her church and in the community at large.
The JewelRide Classic - Public Fundraising
JewelRide Classic is an annual golf tournament held in summer in the Edwardsville, IL area. It is 100% sponsored by JewelRide but participants are given the opportunity to make contributions. Companies are also given the opportunity to sponsor holes. JewelRide matches all donations and sponsorships on a dollar for dollar basis. All raised funds are donated to T and R Philanthropies. This is the only public fundraiser activity for T and R Philanthropies.
The golf tournament is an opportunity for the community to have fun in a scramble format, learn about T and R Philanthropies’ programs and be a force of good. We chose a golf tournament after realizing that it is an activity that can easily bring the community together in a friendly, professional and progressive environment. We are excited to partner with our anchor sponsor for this tournament, JewelRide.
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower individuals and communities to access opportunities that can result in amplified outcomes
Our Vision
Our vision is that of a world where all humanity is given a chance to utilize their God given potential
Our Values
Empowerment
Stewardship
Sustainability